Ole Johnson’s museum was my childhood museum. It was located about 2.5 km from our farm and fashioned out of outbuildings, granaries mostly. A short bike ride and I was given the run of the place. Elk antlers, projectile points, bison skulls, farming and logging artifacts, photographs and local artifacts were displayed alongside Ole’s own works; a miniature working sawmill and, my favourite, a giant pipe that Ole said took almost a full can of tobacco every time he wanted a smoke. A big man who had time to tell old tales and to listen to children.

When Ole died in 1976 his museum was passed into the care of the Big Woody Women’s Institute. The collection was preserved and the buildings were moved through community effort to an acreage on the Eggie farm. The museum was open to visitors in the summer. The museum collection has since become a part of the Swan Valley Heritage Museum.

These photographs are from an Open House held at the Eggie farm in 1982.

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